Crossbeam and accessory attachment to automobile structures



April 28, 1953 s. c. VAHEY Emu.

CROSSBEAM AND ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT To AUTOMOBILE STRUCTURES Filed March 22, 1950 s sheds-sheet 1 INVENTORS Sfanly C. Uahey Hqroid G. Kain BY QM ATTORNEY a amass-shat 2 D ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT TO AUTOMOBILE STRUCTURES S. C. VAHEY ET AL CROSSBEAM AN mm hmw 1 N V EN TORS Stanley C. \lahey A TTORNEY Harold G. Kain A ril 28, 1953 Filed March 22, 1950 April 28, 1 s. c. VAHEY ETAL 2,

CROSSBEAM AND ACCESSORY ATTACHMENT- TO AUTOMOBILE STRUCTURES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 22. 1950 INVENTORS S'fanley CUahey Harold G. Kain n V d, W

(I ll/111111114 i1 E Patented Apr. 28, 1953 CROSSBEAM AND ACCESSORY ATTACH- MENT TO AUTOMOBILE STRUCTURES Stanley 0. Valley, Detroit, and Harold G. Kain, Grosse 'Pointe, Mich., assignors to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of 7 Pennsylvania Application March 22, 1950, Serial No. 151,206

8 Claims. (Cl. 280-106) The invention relates to the attachment of a cross beam, specifically a beam supporting the frontwheels, and of other accessories, specifically the steering gear, to the framework of an automobile, such asto the structure of an automobile of the self-supporting type.

The object of the invention is to overcome certain difficulties stemming from the low arrangement of modern automobile bodies, from the necessary intersection of the transverse wheel supporting beam and longitudinally extending Parts of the framework, and from the location of the steering gear close to the wheel supporting beam. r

The aforesaid objects are achieved and the briefiyoutlined difficulties are overcome by providing the underframe of an automobile with downwardly projecting brackets engaged by brackets longitudinally projecting from the wheel supporting cross beam, and by forming the brackets on the underframe as reinforcements for the attachment of the'steering gear. 7

In some respects the invention may be consideredas a further development, modification or improvement of applicants co-pending application Serial No. 92,362, filed May 10, 1949, now abandoned, for Connection Between Longitudinal Sills and Transverse Wheel Support Beams of Automobiles. v i

The invention and its objects and advantages are more completely disclosed in the following description of one embodiment, and by theillustration of such embodiment in the attached drawing.

In the drawing: a

Figure 1 is a fragmentary three-quarter front perspective of the motor compartment region of a self-supporting automobile body.

--Figure 2- is a fragmentary three-quarter front and underside perspective of the'structure show in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the forward side frame members, of adjoining parts of a transverse wheel supporting beam, and of the steering gear. Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section along line 4-4 of Figure 3. I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal longitudinal section through one of the body side sills or frame members along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse section along line 6+6 of Figure 4. A

Figure 7 is a transverse section throughone of the body side sills along line 'l'! of Figure 3-, and a fragmentary front elevation of the wheel 2 supporting axle beam; part of the links: for guiding the wheel being fragmentarily indicated in dot-and-dash lines.

' Figure 8 is a three-quarter front perspective of the wheel supporting beam stripped of all removable parts.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing show the forward part of a sheet metal, combined automobile body and chassis having a windshield frame ID, a cowl top H, a dashboard or shroud panel l2, 2. toe-board or panel I3,and a floor panel 14. The sides of the body are reinforced by threshold or main side sills I5, of which one is visible in Figure 2. A transverse brace I6 inter-connects sills I 5 in rear of toe-board l3 and is secured to the underside of floor panel I4.

The side walls of the body, not visible in the drawing, are forwardly extended by panels H, which constitute the inner walls of the housings for the front wheels (not shown) and the side walls of the motor compartment. The rear wall of the motor compartment is formed by panels 12 and I3. Secured to the lower margins of panels I! are forward or end sill members IS, the rear or inner ends of which are secured to cross-brace I6 and to the underside of floor panel 14. Inclined braces l9 extend between end portions of sill members 18 and the upper region of dashboard l2 and have their outer margins throughout connectedto the respective wall extensions I I. An end cross-brace 20 permanently interconnects the outer ends of sill members l8 and serves as front support for the'motor unit. The motor unit and its rear support are not shown.

The sill members l8 are closed box sections each formed by an inverted channel section 2| and a multi-piece bottom wall 22, 23, 24. Section 2| has a top web 25 and side walls 26. The connection of section I8 and of the bottom wall members 22, 23, 24, as well as the shape of the latter, will be described later on.

A closed box section axle beam 2l'is formed of a bottom plate 28 and an inverted hat section 23. Section 23 has a top web or wall 30, side walls 3|, and marginal bottom flanges 32, the latter connected to bottom wall 28. Brackets 331, secured to axle beam 21, swingably carry links 34 for vertically guiding the road wheels. Steering gear 35 with steering column 36 is fragmentarily shown in Figures 3 and 4. The road wheels and the resilient means for their support, as well as ,the linkage system connecting steering gear 35 with the wheels, are not shown.

to the construction illustrated in applicant's copending prior application above referred to.

Axle beam 21 passes with small spacing beneath sill members 18 and is connected to them by brackets 31 on axle beam 21 and by front or outer brackets 38 and rear or inner brackets 39 on sill members [8.

Brackets 37 on beam 21 project horizontally forwardly and rearwardly respectively beyond the vertical walls thereof and are U-shaped in plan view, having the web 40 secured to the respective upright wall 3| and flanges M secured to top wall 30 and bottom flanges 32 by spot welding and fusion welding, as indicated in Figures 3, .'Z,

and 8 of the drawing. The legs 42 of brackets 31 extend generally in the longitudinal direction of the sill members H3.

Each bracket 38 is generally of U-section in'' 4 plan view having its legs 43 overlappinglysecured d3 of bracket 38. Bracket 38 is arrangedfin the connecting region between. sill. member l8 and the outer end of the respective. inclined. brace [9. This arrangement results in the transmission of stresses from beam 21' directly into saidbraca.

and thence into the upper part of the adjoining main part of the body. See Figures 3, 4, 5, and'l.

The rear or inner bracket 39 is likewise of U-section. in plan. view, having. wider longitndis nally extending legs or side walls 48 than those oiv brackets 38. cured to the inside or. the. side walls 2.6 and. fitted between the said walls. andthe lateral flanges '41 of. rear. bottom wall. member. 24' of. sill member [8. Bottom wall or webv All). of bracket .39 passes between and is secured to the transverseflanges 46 of bottom wall. members 23, 24.. .Bracket 39 has also top flanges 50: secured to the top' wall or web 251 of sill 18.. See Figures 3 to 5..

The. relative transverse widthsoi brackets; 31?, 38,. 39 are such that the. portion of. brackets 38", 39 projecting downwardly beyond the sill memhere it fits. between the legs at the respective rackets-31.. Brackets 38,. 33 have their: respective legs 43, 58, provided with registering holes in which a sleeve i'rrtenconnecting the. legsgis. fitted. and firmly secured. such as by welding Figures 4 and '7. A bolt 52 surrounded by sleeves 53 of. elastoiner material, such as. rubber, passes throughsleeve 5| andhol'es 54 in. the legsllz of the respectivebracket 37 (Figures 7" and 8)". The details of this resilient. sleeve. and. bolt?- connection may be of. known. design; it serves for: blocking thetransfer. of vibrations. fromthe wheels to" the frame and body;v while. securely holding: the'axle beamtl'l.

The. connection. between the sill. members f of the vehicle and the wheel. supportingbeam 21 by means. of longitudinally spaced", downwardly projecting brackets 38,, 39' on the sill membersan'd by longitudinally projecting brackets 31' on the beam, has a. number of important advantages. It permits the passage. of sill members f8 and beam 27 without requiring intricate oifsetsjof one or bothof these parts; it providesforanv attachment of beanr21 at longitudinally widely spaced points so as to prevent. tilting o1 thebeam andto- Legs 48 are overlappingly sebest shown in Figures 3 and 4. The sides or legs 43 of bracket 39 are so wide as to reinforce the respective sill member I8 where bolts 55 pass through holes 56 in the sill walls 26 of sill member 18 and in legs 48 of bracket 39. The opposite Wa ls 26', were transversely braced against each other by: sleeves 5-1 registering with the holes 56 and surrounding the bolts 55.

Though the drawing illustrates only the steering, gear proper attached to one of the sill members ill, the opposite sill member I8 may carry in thesamelocation and. the same manner a bearing fora swinging. arm forming part of the steering linkage system. Notethe holes 56in sill. member [3 remote from the onlocker in. Fig ures l and 2,. and the corresponding holes 56 in sill member ill on the. side of. the onlooker in l i-gurev 2.,

The junclerfr'ame structure and the beam 21 consist practically throughout of sheet metal stamping. inter-connected by welds which are conventionally indicated in the" drawing. The invention, in its broader aspects is, however, not restricted to sheet metal and weld connections.

It will be understood that in general the invention is not restricted to the details of the illustrated and described embodiment but. that itisysusceptibl'e to modifications and adaptations. Specifically, it will be understood that the details of the invention will depend in part on the construction of thebody' or'ot other types'vehicle frame, as well as on the form and construction of the axle beam to which the invention applied- Eor instance, the new bracket connection may be provided. on. one side of the beam only. The invention is, to indicate" a further modification, applicable tothe attachment cf'beams serving'iior other purposes than forholding the road wheels; the beam. may carry the motor with or without the road wheel. The invention may be appliedto the rear end 0-1 to amid-regi0nof an automobile,

Whattis claimed is:-

1.. In an automob-ile structure: an underframe; a transverse beam arranged beneath: said underfame and extending beyond the sides thereof, said. beam forming. asupport for: road wheels; a first set. of brackets integrally connected with said underframe theside. margins thereof and arranged infront and inrear of said. beam, said brackets projecting downwardly beyond said underframe; a secondset' of brackets. integrally connected with said beam and projecting. forwardly and: rearwardly beyond said beam;. the brackets} of said first set and of said second set having portions-overlappingeach other; and. meanswinter-connecting' said overlapping portions, including vibrationeabsorbing insertsg, between each two adjacent brackets of different"- sets;

2. In. an automobile structure: a. pair. of. 1on gitudinal side sill members spaced: transversely from each other; a transverse beam arranged beneath: said: sill members and" extendinglaterally'therebeyond; a first. set: of brackets integrallyconnected with. andzprojzecting downwardly beyond said sill members and arranged in front and in rear of said beam; a second set of brackets integrally connected with and projecting forwardly and rearwardly beyond said beam; portions of said brackets of said two sets overlapping each other; and vibration-absorbing means intor-connecting said overlapping portions of each two adjacent brackets of difierent sets.

3. In an automobile structure: an underframe; a transverse beam arranged beneath said underframe and extending beyond the sides thereof; a first set of brackets secured to said underframe near the side margins thereof and arranged on at least one of the front and rear side of said beam, said brackets projecting downwardly beyond said underframe; a second set of brackets secured to and projecting longitudinally beyond said beam; means connecting the brackets of said first set and of said second set and including vibration absorbing inserts.

4. In a vehicle body of the combined body and chassis type, a transverse beam, a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced sill members of hollow section, each having transversely spaced upright walls, brackets associated with said sill members, being U-shaped in plan view and having their arms overlappingly secured to both said upright walls of said sill members, said brackets extending downwardly beyond said sill members and having downwardly projecting portions connected with brackets projecting longitudinally from said transverse beam.

5. In an automobile body, a transverse beam, a longitudinally extending sill member of hollow section having transversely spaced upright walls, a bracket constituting a reinforcement for said sill member in the attachment region for a part of a steering gear, said bracket having a pair of longitudinally extending upright arms overlappingly secured to said upright walls and presenting a reinforcing brace, said bracket extending downwardly beyond said sill member and the projecting portions being connected with a brack et projecting longitudinally from said transverse beam.

6. In a vehicle body of the combined body and chassis type, an end wall, a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced underframe sill members projecting beyond said end wall and each having a pair of transversely spaced upright walls, inclined braces between said end wall and points of said sill members spaced from said end wall, brackets associated with said sill members in the regions of said points where said braces and sill members meet, said brackets extending downwardly beyond said sill members for the connection with a transverse beam such as a wheel and motor supporting beam.

7. In an automobile structure: a longitudinally extending, transverse, hollow-section sill member, said member having transversely spaced upright Walls inter-connected by a bottom wall, a bracket U-shaped in plan view having longitudinally extending legs overlappingly secured to said upright walls, said bracket extending downwardly beyond said sill member, said bracket having a transversely arranged web passing through an interruption in said bottom wall and connected to the latter, the bracket having its downwardly projecting portion adapted for the connection with another member of the structure.

8. In a structure according to claim 7, said bottom wall having transverse flanges on the sides of said web, and said flanges being overlappingly secured to said web.

STANLEY C. VAHEY. HAROLD G. KAIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,727,999 Moorhouse Sept. 10, 1929 2,315,643 Mueller Apr. 6, 1943 2,351,233 Schon June 13, 1944- 2,417,690 Keller Mar. 18, 1947 2,611,625 Kishline et a1. Sept. 23, 1952 

